Austin's inking — especially in the 1970s and early 1980s — is notable for its smooth, precise rendering; and extremely detailed backgrounds, making his embellishing work easily identifiable. His style has been highly influential on a subsequent generation of inkers including Al Gordon, Andy Lanning, and Scott Williams,[10]

^Daniels, Les (1991). "The Marvel Universe (1978–1990)". Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics. New York, New York: Harry N. Abrams. p. 186. ISBN9780810938212. The controversial story created a sensation and The X-Men became the comic book to watch.